Ash-sifter.



HERMAN HOFGREN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lttslablFTEm.

Specicatcn of Letters Patent.

latented Au?. 15, 1905.

Application filed October 17. 1904. Serial No. 228,727.

Be it known that l', HERMAN HoFeRuN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AshASifters, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in a device for sifting ashes, so as to separate the pieces of .coal and unconsumed particles from the ashes or finer pieces; and itconsists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more `fully set forth and speciiically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an ash-sifter which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong', durable, and effective in operation, and so made that its parts will be inclosed, so as to prevent the escape of dust in the sifting operation.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that the ashes or liner particles will be deposited in a suitable receptacle for the same, while the pieces of coal and coarser particles will be deposited in a receptacle for them.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a perforated trough wherein the ashes may be deposited and stirred on its way to the sifting-cylinder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the subjoined description and exlilanation.

ln order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, ll' will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying' drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ash-sifter embodying my invention, showing it mounted on a portion of a barrel to receive the sifted ashes. Fig. 2 is a rear end view showing a portion of the casing broken away to disclose the interior mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4 at of Fig. 1 looking' in the direction indicated by the arrows, but showing' the stirring-arms and crank-shaft removed.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The reference-numeral 10 represents the ..1asing,which may be of any suitable size,form,

and material, but preferably rectangular in shape, as shown, and of wood. The bottom of the casing is formed with an .opening 11, throug'h which the sifted ashes may pass into a barrel l2 or other suitable receptacle. EX- tending across the casing is a partition 13, which depends from the upper surface to about midway between the top and the bottom of the casing and has in its lower pol'- tion a recess 14 to permit of the rotation of the stirring-arms for the troug'h or lixed sieve of the sifter. The other portion of the casing 10, between its front end andthe partition 13, is closed by means of a removable cover 15, having' a handle 16, by means. of which it may be removed when it is desired to deposit ashes in the casing. Extending across the lower portion of the casing is a partition 17, which is inclined from the front edge of the opening 1l toward the front end of the casing and has in its upper portion a curved recess 18 to receive and support the front end of the stationary trough 19, which is shown as being made of perforated material, but which may be made of wire-cloth or other foraminous material. This trough is substantiall y semicircular in shape, but is contracted toward its free end and is located in an inclined position, as is elearlyshown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings. Horizontal] y and longitudinally journaled in the front end ofthe casing is a shaft 20, which has on its outer end a crankvhandle 21, used for rotating the si fting-cylinder 22, which is shown as being made of perforated sheet metal, but which may be made of any suitable foraminous material. rEhis cylinder is slightly enlarged toward its rear end and is provided at said end with a strengthening' rimer bandQS, to which are secured at one of their ends a number of arms 24, the other ends of which are secured to a stub-shaft 25, journaled in the rear end of the casing. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cylinder 22 is located longitudinally within the casing so that its front end, which is open, will receive the rear end of the trough 19, which, as before stated, is downwardly and rearwardly inclined. The front portion of the cylinder 22 is provided with a band or ring 26, to which are secured at one of their ends a number of stirring-arms 27, the other ends of which are secured to the inner end of the crank-shaft 20, which end of said shaft projects into the upper portion of the trough 19, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings it will be seen that the arms 27 are slightly twisted or laterally deflected, so that when the crank-shaft 2O is turned and the cylinder 22 rotated thereby the arms 27 will stir the ashes in the trough 19 and will act upon the same somewhat in the manner of a spiral conveyer, thus forcing the ashes from the trough into the cylinder, by means of which the ashes will be separated from the coal and coarser particles, which will pass from the rear end of the cylinder 22 out through an opening 28 in the rear lower portion of the casing to a coal-bucket 29 or other suitable receptacle.

F rom the foregoing' and by reference tothe drawings it will be seen and readily understood that by removing the 'cover 15 from the upper front portion of the casing ashes may be placed within the trough 19, when the cover may be replaced and the operation of sifting performed by turning' the crank-handle 21, which, as before stated, will rotate the cylinder 22 and stir the ashes within the trough, by means of which a part of the sifting operation will be done. As the crank-shaft continues in its rotation it is apparent the arms 27 will stir the ashes, break up the lumps therein, and will force the contents of the trough rearwardly into the cylinder, from which the finer particles will pass through the opening 11 and when desired into a suitable receptacle 12 placed thereunder.

The openings 11 and 28 in the bottom of the casing are divided by means of op positelyinclined pieces 30 and 31, which extend across the bottom and, together with the inclined pieces 32, located at the side edges of the casing, form discharging-hoppers for the ashes and coal and coarser particles.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#

1. In an ash-sifter, the combination with the casing, of a stub-shaft jou rnaled in the rear end of the casing, a foraminous cylinder 1'0- tatably mounted therein and having open ends, a number ot' supporting-arms secured at one of their ends to the stub-shaft and connected at their other ends to the rear end of the cylinder, a foraminous trough mounted in an inclined position in the casing and adapted to discharge at its lower end into one end of the cylinder, a crank-shaft journaled on the casing` and projecting into and terminating near the end of the raised portion of the trough, a series of arms secured at one of their ends to the inner portion of the crank-shaft, and at their other ends to the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In an ash-sitter, the combination with the casingg'of a stub-shaft journaled in the rear end thereof, a frustum-shaped and foraminous cylinder rotatably and longitudinally mounted therein and havingits ends open, a number of supporting-arms secured at one ot'. their ends to the stub-shaft and connected at their other ends to the rear end of the cylinder, a circular-shaped and foraminoustrough mounted in an inclined position inthe-front part of the casing and having its lower end projectinginto thefront end of the cylinder, acranlishaft journaled on the casing and projecting int'o and terminating near the end of the raised portion of the trough, aseries of arms secured at one of their ends to the inner portion to the crank-shaft and connected at their other ends to the periphery of they cylinder near its front end, said arms being laterally deiected Jfrom the securing-points of their front ends, substantially as described.

HERMAN HOFGREN.

Witnessesz CHAs. C. TILLMAN, Y A. GUs'rAFsoN. 

